Balloon Biker

Now that I’ve been bike commuting regularly for a few years, going on roughly the same route, at roughly the same time, I now recognize several other commuters.

Some are people whom I’ll chat with about biking, life or whatever. One’s become a very good friend. Some I see and wonder about their story or what they do.

Rarely a day goes by these days where I bike to or from work and DON’T see someone who I either know or at least recognize.

It really makes the world seem like a much friendlier place.

So, to the lady who wears a red helmet with plastic bags in the winter….
The guy who rides the purple bike…
The guy with the bunny ears…
The guy with the Orange Neon bike…
The lady with the green panniers..
To my boss…
To Anne…
To Julie…

To all the people who make my day brighter, who give me an idea on if I’m running late or ealier to work, who create a commmunity on the streets….

Thank you!

My Summer Games Entry: Say Hi to Another Rider:

Ever since I moved into my apartment in January, I had noticed a bike locked up to a pole across the street. It was almost always there, through snow, rain, sun and wind.

Sometimes I thought that it had been abandoned, but every once in a while, I’d see that it had been moved or wasn’t there for an evening.

On my way home from work one evening, I noticed it propped up on it’s kick stand right in front of my apartment and saw a young gentleman walking towards it.

I took this opportunity to comment that I had seen it and discovered that the owner was named Roger and lived in the same building as me. Actually, we share a wall (though not an entrance, which is why we had never spoken).

After a brief conversation about our building and landlord and such, Roger took off and I went inside…happy knowing a new neighbor and fellow biker.

This is my social ride entry in the LGRAB Summer Games.

I go on a lot of group rides. I’ve even led a few. Usually they are fun, chatty, exhilarating experiences. Last nights ride was in a group, but instead of the usual feelings invoked by groups, instead it brought about sorrow, pensive and profound thoughts.

Last night was the Ride of Silence. In coordination with bikers around the world, we silently road through the streets en masse and visited the sites where other bikers had been killed.

While biking is fun and there is a lot that you can do to minimize the danger, sometimes accidents are unavoidable. A door might open, a car might swerve, a pedestrian may step out, a part may fail. Fortunately for me, all of my accidents have been minor and I’ve walked away with just bruises and a bit of soreness. However, it’s important to remember, and show support for those who were not so fortunate.

In Chicago, bikes painted white and called ghost bikes are often placed near the sites where cyclists are killed. They are a reminder to motorists and cyclist to be safe. The ride last night visited several of these sites.

Hopefully awareness and consideration with prevent more ghost bikes from having to be constructed.